Director Prakash Jha once again succeeds in delivering a strong socio political drama headed by the fantastic cast. In spite of a few elongated stretches the series makes the viewers introspect about the hold that these fake babas have.
Aashram season 3 part 2 (Hindi), 27-02-2025, Drama, Thriller, 5 episodes, 16+, OTT
- Main Cast: Bobby Deol, Aaditi Pohankar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Tridha Choudhary
- Director: Prakash Jha
- Producer: Prakash Jha
- Music Director: Sunny Inder
- Cinematography: Chandan Kowli
- Rating: 3.5/5
The filmography of Prakash Jha has always been dominated by subjects of social importance.
Whether it is his initial films like Mrityudand (1997) focusing on injustice practices set in Bihar or even the later ones like Gangajaal, Apaharan and others.
The filmmaker has often drawn inspiration from real life. Of course, the results haven’t been always great, particularly in the last few years but the director’s commitment to portraying socially relevant issues is undeniable.
Synopsis
His web series debut Aashram streaming on Amazon MX player, which released its first instalment in 2020, marked the rebirth of both Prakash Jha and Bobby Deol. The core plot of Aashram revolves around a magnetic godman, played by a brilliant Bobby Deol.
Bobby Deol’s Nirala Baba pretends to be a messiah but in actuality, it is just a façade. Aaditi Pohankar’s Pammi starts off as one of his numerous devotees but things take a huge turn when she realizes that Nirala is no saint but a monster with ulterior motives.
In the second season, the viewers see Pammi turning against Nirala fighting a huge battle, and undergoing many tribulations, including the death of her close ones.
Additionally, the mother believes that her daughter has gone ashtray and is maligning the name of Baba Nirala to cover her wrongdoings.
The first part of Aashram’s third season saw Pammi getting some political support but due to certain change of events, she ended up behind bars.
A revenge
In the second part of Aashram’s third season, the focus is primarily on how Pammi makes a return back to the Aashram and systematically plots her revenge.
She puts a façade in front of Nirala Baba by saying that she has unnecessarily wronged him and now wants to correct her mistakes.
Baba Nirala arranges her bail and gets her shifted to the Aashram much to the disdain of his friend and partner in crime Bhopa Swami (Chandan Roy Sanyal).
Pammi pretends to be an ardent devotee but her actual intentions are different. The rest of the story focuses on how Pammi reveals the true colours of Nirala Baba to the court along with the back story of this magnetic godman who has several skeletons buried in his closet.
Strengths and flaws
A strong aspect of Aashram season 3 part two is how Pammi goes about her plan in an unhurried manner. The way she tempts Bhopa Swami turning Bhopa and Nirala against each other is interesting to watch.
The scenes of Pammi seducing Bhopa gradually might test the patience of some viewers but are necessary in the larger scheme of things.
The back story of Baba Nirala and how his manipulations come back to haunt him has been wonderfully written and enacted. The portions of Baba Nirala’s psychological battles are also gripping to watch.
The series also does a very fine job of raising uncomfortable questions about power and faith. Prakash Jha also does a fine job of showcasing devotion being a double-edged sword and how playing with someone’s faith through numerous lies can take you down however big your empire is.
The characterizations of the three central characters coupled with the performances are another major backbone, the transformation of Pammi from a victim to an avenger treading on a very dangerous path is a delight to watch.
Performances
Aaditi delivers a fantastic act perfectly capturing both the pain and anger while systematically plotting Baba Nirala’s downfall, the way she seduces Bhopa Swami by turning on the charm pretending to have accepted defeat makes for great viewing.
Bobby Deol as Nirala Baba delivers once again. This character has played a huge role in the rebirth of Bobby and that is clearly visible this time too.
Bobby once again delivers a first-rate performance portraying the various shades of his character with ease. The actor particularly shines in the scenes when the tables are turned against him like the dramatic breakdown during a crucial moment. His obsession with Pammi has undertones of genuine love.
Chandan Roy Sanyal has a bigger canvas to play with in comparison to the other seasons and the actor does a terrific job.
The devilish charm with which he portrays the role is a delight to watch, at the same time we also see a vulnerable side to him after he gets castrated by Nirala leading to a change in their dynamics. The confrontation scene between the two towards the end is a wonderful example of this.
Among the rest, Tridha Choudhary does a very fine job as a woman who quietly helps Pammi. Darshan Kumar as the determined police officer is also pretty solid although the screen time is quite limited.
Final take
To sum it up Aashram Season 3 Part 2 is a very satisfying conclusion.
(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)
